Cal Grants

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- The deadline to apply for a Cal Grant is today. More than $600,000 in various state Cal Grants are available for students headed for college in the Fall. The amount of awards was expected to increase this year, thanks to new state legislation. It is estimated that the increase in funding will allow 30% of California's high school seniors to attend college, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Last year, it was 17%. There are different requirements for different grants.

Alecia Foster SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale High School will be the site of a financial aid workshop tonight. A representative from the California Student Aid Commission will discuss aid and provide applications for Cal Grant awards. A greater amount of Cal Grant awards are available from the state this year thanks to new legislation. There are awards for students receiving a 2.0 grade-point average or higher. "Unfortunately, many students who are eligible for the Cal Grant program are unaware of the deadline," said state Assemblyman Dario Frommer (D-Glendale)

GLENDALE — Glendale Community College students receiving state financial aid may be in a bind when fall courses start next month if officials are forced to continue making grant payments using IOUs, administrators said. State Controller John Chiang, in response to the California’s dire cash shortage, began issuing IOUs this month in lieu of $3.36 billion of July payments to public programs, state vendors, small businesses and taxpayers. Chiang was forced to pull the trigger on IOUs after lawmakers failed to come to terms on a budget solution that would have closed the state’s growing deficit, which is now projected to balloon to $26 billion.

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- The number of students receiving Cal Grant awards is expected to increase this year, thanks to new state legislation. Senate Bill 1644 has provided $1.2 billion in financial aid assistance to students entering college between now and 2006. It is estimated that the increase in funding will allow 30% of California's high school seniors to attend college, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Last year, the grants were only available to about 17% of the state's graduates.

High school seniors looking to apply for state funds to attend college have until the March 2 deadline to apply for Cal Grant awards. Application materials can be found in counseling offices at Clark Magnet High School, 4747 New York Ave. in La Crescenta; Crescenta Valley High School, 4400 Ramsdell Ave. in La Crescenta; Glendale High School, 1440 E. Broadway; and Hoover High School, 651 Glenwood Road. Cal Grant awards are state funded monetary grants given to students to help pay for college expenses.

Karen S. Kim LA CRESCENTA -- Assemblywoman Carol Liu (D-La Crescenta) will host two financial aid workshops for high school and college students on Feb. 24 and 26. The local seminars are free. The first workshop, co-hosted by Pasadena City College and state Sen. Jack Scott (D-Glendale), will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Creveling Center Lounge of Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. The second workshop will be co-hosted with Occidental College and Yosemite Recreation Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 26. The program will be at the Yosemite Recreation Center, 1840 Yosemite Drive in Eagle Rock.

The Dream Act, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, is “a step in the right direction” for immigration activists. But it is another slap in the face for American citizens and legal residents (“Students look to federal Dream Act,” Oct. 16). It's bad enough that California taxpayers spend at least $10 billion a year (or $13 billion, if you believe the latest report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform) on education, housing and medical care for illegal immigrants. It's worse that undocumented students (who receive some or all these public services before they turn 18)

Occidental College will host "Cash for College," a free workshop that provides high school seniors step-by-step assistance in completing state and federal financial aid forms on Jan. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Johnson Hall, Room 200. Occidental is located at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock. For directions and a campus map, visit www.oxy.-edu/MapsDirections.xml. Parking is free. "Many families just aren't aware of the money that's available to them," said Maureen McRae Levy, director of financial aid at Occidental.

Ryan Carter The Schwarzenegger administration says that the foundation of his budget plan is making California more competitive by improving its business climate. That effort got mixed responses from legislators and local business officials who agree that reform is needed, but are seeking different ways to do it. Some said that the budget affects the plan in indirect ways. The plan cuts more than $4 billion from a variety of services, including $1.7 billion from the state's health insurance plan for the poor and disabled.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Glendale Community College officials said this week that cash reserves can last only a few more months as they, along with the entire community college system, continue to languish under the ongoing state budget stalemate. Of all the systems tethered to state funding, community colleges are among the most vulnerable to protracted budget fights since nearly all of their funding comes from annual state disbursements. Without the payments, colleges have no recourse other than to dip into reserves or borrow money to cover operating expenses.

GLENDALE — Glendale Community College students receiving state financial aid may be in a bind when fall courses start next month if officials are forced to continue making grant payments using IOUs, administrators said. State Controller John Chiang, in response to the California’s dire cash shortage, began issuing IOUs this month in lieu of $3.36 billion of July payments to public programs, state vendors, small businesses and taxpayers. Chiang was forced to pull the trigger on IOUs after lawmakers failed to come to terms on a budget solution that would have closed the state’s growing deficit, which is now projected to balloon to $26 billion.

High school seniors looking to apply for state funds to attend college have until the March 2 deadline to apply for Cal Grant awards. Application materials can be found in counseling offices at Clark Magnet High School, 4747 New York Ave. in La Crescenta; Crescenta Valley High School, 4400 Ramsdell Ave. in La Crescenta; Glendale High School, 1440 E. Broadway; and Hoover High School, 651 Glenwood Road. Cal Grant awards are state funded monetary grants given to students to help pay for college expenses.

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- The deadline to apply for a Cal Grant is today. More than $600,000 in various state Cal Grants are available for students headed for college in the Fall. The amount of awards was expected to increase this year, thanks to new state legislation. It is estimated that the increase in funding will allow 30% of California's high school seniors to attend college, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Last year, it was 17%. There are different requirements for different grants.

Alecia Foster SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale High School will be the site of a financial aid workshop tonight. A representative from the California Student Aid Commission will discuss aid and provide applications for Cal Grant awards. A greater amount of Cal Grant awards are available from the state this year thanks to new legislation. There are awards for students receiving a 2.0 grade-point average or higher. "Unfortunately, many students who are eligible for the Cal Grant program are unaware of the deadline," said state Assemblyman Dario Frommer (D-Glendale)

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- The number of students receiving Cal Grant awards is expected to increase this year, thanks to new state legislation. Senate Bill 1644 has provided $1.2 billion in financial aid assistance to students entering college between now and 2006. It is estimated that the increase in funding will allow 30% of California's high school seniors to attend college, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Last year, the grants were only available to about 17% of the state's graduates.